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Autism - receiving and understanding a diagnosis

These films have been made by young people on the autism spectrum who wanted to share their experiences of receiving a diagnosis with other young people who may be going through the diagnosis process. They know that receiving a diagnosis of autism can be difficult and confusing at any age and for this reason wanted to offer some help and support to young people and their families.

The young people featured all had the opportunity to tell their own story about their experiences both before and after diagnosis and what it means to them now. Some of the films were made entirely independently and some were made using an interview process. As Jonathan says in the film he made “You’re autistic. You’re awesome. You’re special” and we hope that these films help you to understand that.

We have also included films of parents and professionals talking about the process of diagnosis and have given a list of resources where you can find out more information. These were all recommended by the young people featured in the film.

We would like to thank all our contributors; Paul, Tom, Brett, Chris, Jonathan, Dean, Robyn, Luke, Helen, John, Luke’s Dad, Helen’s Mum, Jonathan’s Mum, Vicky Slonims, Gillian Baird and David Skuse who add so much to our understanding of autism. They show that everyone on the autism spectrum is different and an individual and that receiving a diagnosis should not be seen as a negative experience. As Paul says in his film “It’s not the end of the world. It’s not the end of your life. It’s the beginning of your life.”